Number pad is one of the input devices of a computer and generally comes with a plurality of keys and at least one character such as a letter, a number or a punctuation mark printed on the keys. In most situations, a display device of the computer is used for outputting a character corresponding to the character printed on a key if such key is pressed. However, some special symbols require users to press several keys simultaneously, or press several keys one at a time sequentially before the display device can display the characters. We usually call it as “combination key”. In addition, there are some keys that do not correspond to a letter, a number or a punctuation mark, but these keys including the function keys with characters or symbols of “F1”˜“F12”, “Esc”, “→”, “Enter” and “Alt” control the operations of a computer. In addition, different input methods in an operating system of the computer define different characters that are provided for users to use in a language familiar to them. Users can input characters into a computer by pressing the corresponding keys on the number pad and control the operations of the computer by pressing the corresponding function keys.
In recent years, number pad manufacturers provide a way of expediting the input of a character or a function key to provide users a quick way of starting a corresponding application program by pressing “hot keys” on the number pad. The so-called “hot keys” refer to the keys for executing special functions of a certain application program by pressing one of the hot keys in the number pad, and then the number pad issues key codes corresponding to a series of keys, so as to save the time for users to press different keys for a number of times. In addition, there are many resident programs that can be started by using hot keys. Resident programs are generally divided into two types: an application program operated at a fixed time or started by another application program such as a font driver (which is not related to a hot key), and an application program whose specific functions such as starting the “Excel” program, a figure capture function of a drawing program, or a number pad on the screen of the “WORD” program can be started by a user who presses a certain combination of keys, The specific combination of keys pressed by users is called a “combination key” as mentioned above, and the difference between a “hot key” and a “combination key” is given below:
1. “Combination key” refers to a way of achieving the same effect of pressing several keys simultaneously, or pressing several keys sequentially by users, before a display device can output a display; and
2. “Hot key” refers to a way of sending out at least one key code according to a predetermined sequence, and the key codes are set by a number pad manufacturer in advance, so that the key codes will be sent to an electronic device to open an application program or a specific function of the electronic device, and the “combination key” can be set as a “hot key”, so that after a user presses the “hot key”, the key code of the “combination key” and the transmitting sequence will be inputted to an electronic device that is connected to the number pad to display the specific characters or open an application program or a specific function of an application program corresponding to the “combination key”.
For example, a “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks” manufactured by Logitech has three hot keys: “Excel”, “Calculator” and “Web” provided for users to start a Microsoft Office application program “Excel”, the application program “Calculator” and the “Internet Explorer” bundled into the Microsoft operating system respectively. If the “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks” connected to an operating system of an electronic device is under a non-English language input method and a user presses the “Excel” hot key of the “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks”, then the “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks” will issue the following key codes in sequence by a USB HID encoding format of an English USB number pad:
(1) “E7” (which stands for inputting a “START” function key to start the “START” window of an operating system of the electronic device);
(2) “15” (After the previous key code is inputted, the “START” window has been started, so that an input of alphabet “R” in the “START” window stands for an operation of starting the “EXECUTE” window of the operation system of the electronic device);
(3) “08” (Input an alphabet “E” in the “START” field of the “EXECUTE” window);
(4) “1B” (Input an alphabet “X” in the “START” field of the “EXECUTE” window);
(5) “06” (Input an alphabet “C” in the “START” field of the “EXECUTE” window);
(6) “08” (Input an alphabet “E” in the “START” field of the “EXECUTE” window);
(7) “0F” (Input an alphabet “L” in the “START” field of the “EXECUTE” window); and
(8) “28” (which stands for an input of “ENTER” function key).
After the “Excel” hot key is pressed, the Microsoft Office application program “Excel” will be executed, and users simply press the keys printed with characters as shown in the abovementioned procedure to achieve the purpose of saving the time of pressing the keys for many times.
However, if the operating system of the electronic device is under a non-English language input method and the “Excel” hot key of the “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks” is pressed, then the Microsoft Office application program “Excel” will be unable to open, and the screen as shown in FIG. 1 will appear in a Chinese phonetic input method; the screen as shown in FIG. 2 will appear in a Russian language input method; the screen as shown in FIG. 3 will appear in a Greek language input method; or a screen as shown in FIG. 4 will appear in a Japanese language input method. The cause for the operating system of the electronic device to have wrong conversions of this sort resides on that when the operating system of the electronic device is at a non-English language input method, the “Cordless Number Pad for Notebooks” sequentially transmits key codes formed and edited in a USB HID encoding format of a USB number pad, and the operating system of the electronic device converts the key codes by the current non-English language input method, and thus the key codes are converted into the characters of the current non-English language input method, and the characters of the non-English language input method cannot be inputted into the “START” field A of the “Excel” or after the “START” window is started, and the “EXECUTE” window cannot be opened, and the Microsoft Office application program “Excel” cannot be executed. Therefore, finding a way of starting an application program installed in an electronic device successfully by a hot key on a number pad demands immediate attentions and feasible solutions.